Félicette, a black and white cat from France, made history as the first and so far the only cat to go into space. Her space mission took place on October 18, 1963, when she was sent on a suborbital flight by the French Véronique rocket from the Hammaguir Cosmodrome in Algeria.
Félicette was no ordinary cat. She was one of many cats specially trained for space missions, with scientists testing their physical endurance and responses to microgravity. Félicette was ultimately chosen due to her calm nature and ideal size.
During its flight, it reached an altitude of approximately 157 kilometers, which is above the boundary of space known as the Kármán line. The flight lasted a total of 13 minutes, during which Félicette was exposed to weightlessness. Her brain was monitored using electrodes that scientists implanted before launch. After successfully landing in the reentry module, Félicette was safely retrieved and became a symbol of scientific progress.
Unlike the more famous dog Laika, who did not survive his flight, Félicette returned alive from the space mission. Unfortunately, her story was long forgotten, leading to an international campaign to recognize her importance. In 2019, a statue of her was unveiled in Paris to commemorate her contribution to science.
